OnPolitics: The first Republican primary debate is here

Hi OnPolitics readers. Tonight the crowded field of Republican candidates will take the stage for the first GOP primary debate.

🐘 The event will give Republican voters the chance to consider the White House hopefuls side-by-side as they pitch their visions for the country. But the elephant-not-in-the-room is former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner, who said he skipped the debate because he has such a big lead in the polls.

📺 How do I watch? Fox News announced in June the debate will air exclusively on its channel. It will air from 9-11 p.m. ET.

The Republican National Committee announced the full lineup of candidates participating in the debate, which includes Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, Doug Burgum, Mike Pence and Asa Hutchinson.

📲 Live updates: Keep up with our live coverage for everything you need to know about the first Republican debate.

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